Happiness Happens Finds Presence at Golden Globe Awards

By Lindsay Jones

I've written about them before — a group of nine "Nanas" from the Mid-South who secretly give gifts to people in need. They're otherwise known as the guardian angels behind "Happiness Happens," www.happiness-happens.com.

Now, the ladies, who range in age from 50 to 70 and staunchly maintain their anonymity, have found themselves a presence at the 69th Golden Globe Awards scheduled for Sunday in Beverly Hills, California. They won't be traipsing the red carpet, but the cakes they make to cheer people up are going to be included in 60 shwag bags at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

How did this happen, you might ask? Well, one of the Nanas' daughters was on a flight recently from Memphis to New York and met a woman named Denise Vann Hekken. Once Vann Heckken heard about Happiness Happens, she told friends who told friends, and before you know it the ladies' Sweet Petites (baked at a son's restaurant) were on their way to the West Coast.

This is how Vann Hekken recalls the chance encounter: "Oh, gosh, [the daughter's] head was buried in her iPad, but that didn't stop me. I asked what she was working on. She politely responded, but I'm a fellow Southerner and wanted details. It was like pulling teeth, but she told me about these amazing Nanas — nine lifelong friends pooling their money to help widows and single moms — and they don't reveal their true identities. OMG!!! This is like Santa Claus for adults and I wanted in on it."